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The renowned publisher has appointed Ben Brinkman from Respawn Entertainment to oversee the studio crew at 31st Union, which is currently crafting the anticipated over-the-shoulder roguelike extraction-shooter known as Project Ethos.

Leadership Transition Follows Poor Feedback

The new appointee steps into the role of studio head at the development studio following the exit of previous head the ex-Sledgehammer Games executive, who was removed from his post due to Project Ethos' underwhelming early showing last autumn.

Recently, the company's top executive David Ismailer informed team members about this strategic move through an official communication, which stressed that early feedback sessions had revealed the necessity for a more defined game identity.

Ismailer noted that the team is now overhauling Project Ethos with a refreshed approach, aiming to address gamer demands.

A Pattern of Strategic Recruitment

This announcement mirrors a comparable step taken by 2K Games in August, when they recruited an industry veteran from Blizzard to contribute to the BioShock studio Cloud Chamber.

Here is the complete content from the president's announcement:

Dear Team—

I understand you all just completed your meeting - I trust you’re as thrilled as I am with the good news. Last time I sent you all a message, I expressed the following: “I believe in this team. You all are some of the most dedicated and innovative creators we have had the pleasure to partner with - and we’re looking forward for that collaboration to continue.”

Through your commitment and adaptability, particularly over the last year, you consistently demonstrate that.

The community feedback from last autumn’s the game playtest was enlightening. It affirmed the potential of a roguelike shooter but indicated we still had work to do. It uncovered the requirement for a sharper identity.

It has been motivating to see how far you’ve come. You embraced the criticism to mind and reimagined the title with a refreshed vision - one that’s positioned to deliver on its potential to our fans.

The trust in Project ETHOS grows every day. To advance the outstanding development you’ve made, I’m excited to announce the new hire as the incoming Director of 31st Union. Following some time of conversations, Ben comes aboard us on next week.

Ben’s guidance and expertise in the PVP shooter genre is vast, having dedicated the recent years developing and overseeing some of the most recognizable franchises in the industry, for example the acclaimed shooter, and most recently, the battle royale hit.

Let’s together in welcoming him soon. We are all excited to persist witnessing the progress of the game in the time to come.

David

Experience of the New Leader

Brinkman presently holds the position of executive producer and production lead at the renowned studio for Apex Legends. He earlier was employed at major gaming companies in diverse production roles on the iconic franchise series, and, prior to that, had periods at other industry leaders.

Title Details and Vision

Project Ethos was announced in last year alongside a public demo. Then, the developers described the title as a "no-cost, third-person perspective roguelike hero shooter and an thrilling step forward on the category."

"Create your ideal gameplay session—or face defeat—in this engaging over-the-shoulder adventure! Customize your character in live gameplay to match your preferred approach," the game's pitch explains. "Take on the competition with unique powers, challenges, and tests that evolve every round. Do you safely extract with your hard-earned loot? Or take a risk, risk it all, and hope your group can earn top ranking? The option is yours."

Project Ethos has not yet received an official release date or platforms, but fans can expect more updates as creation continues.